Another tech company has found success and is expanding further in Tampa Bay.
The latest is former Washington, D.C.-based TheIncLab, an artificial intelligence and data visualization firm that moved to Ybor City in 2019. It originally leased a 400-square-foot space in The Undercroft, which housed other tech entities including SOFWERX. It announced it will be expanding further into the El Pasaje building with an 8,000-square-foot lease.
“We are proud to occupy this historic space and continue the tradition of fostering spaces for innovation and collaboration in Ybor City,” Adriana Avakian, CEO of TheIncLab, said in a statement. “We are ... one of the most unique [labs] in the country and we hope to lead the way in artificial intelligence and data visualization capabilities in Tampa and in the United States.”
The company originally chose Tampa as its third location, after Avakian participated in the Tampa Bay Wave's TechDiversity cohort. It was a big get for the region: The company has ties to the Department of Defense and Fortune 100 companies like Samsung.
Along with the physical expansion comes 40 new jobs by 2022, with an average annual wage of $85,000. They run the gamut of tech jobs including 3D design, data science, AI, emerging tech and software engineering roles.
“[TheIncLab's] expansion in Tampa is further proof that our city has the highly skilled talent and supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem tech founders need to build and grow successful companies,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to see TIL growing in Tampa and finding a new home in one of Ybor City’s most storied historic buildings.”
TheIncLab joins a growing list of tech companies that have expanded to the region in the last two years, including Boston-based Drift and San Francisco-based HomeLight.
“Technology has long been a target industry of the EDC, but over the past few years we’ve seen a steady increase in interest from tech CEOs who are discovering that Tampa is an ideal place to grow their companies,” Jim Weiss, chair of the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council, said in a statement.
